Engine fuel



Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES ENGINE FUEL vCarl F. Prutton, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Lubrl-Zol Development Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a

tion of Delaware corpora- No Drawing. Application December 29, 1932,

Serial No.649,329 l L 12 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to engine iueland more particularly such fuel as is consumed by internal combustion engines, and which has added thereto certain compositions which increase the efiiciency of operation of the engine as well as insure a minimum of wear of the parts of such engine.

It has for some time past been realized that the lubrication of the upper parts of an engine, 1. e., the piston, piston rings, valves, etc., can be improved by the addition to the engine fuel of a suitable lubricating composition, and for such purpose pure hydrocarbon oils have been employed as well as other mixtures and suspensions which are dissolvedin the fuel and admittedto the combustion chamber of the engine through the carburetor and manifold. Plain hydrocarbon oils have a tendency to produce undesirable amounts of carbon deposit and are generally not suificiently stable, at the temperatures encountered in the combustion chamber, so that the use of plain hydrocarbon oils for the above defined purpose has never gone into extensive commercial usage.

It is among the objects of this inventionto pro vide an engine fuel suitable for consumption by internal combustion engines, and which has mixed therewith a composition which will not only reduce friction between the working parts of the engine but whichis sufficiently stable so as not to produce carbon deposits and further is effective to soften and loosen carbon deposits which have been formed or. which are formed by the combustion of the fuel.

For the purpose of lubricating or reducing the friction between the relatively moving parts of the engine such as the piston and cylinder, piston rings, valves, etc., this invention contemplates the addition to any suitable fuel, adapted for internal combustion engines, of a lubricating composition comprising a major proportion of a suitable oil base and a minor proportion of a halogenated ormore specifically chlorinated car: bon ring compound. As specific examples of the halogenated or more specifically chlorinated carbon ring compounds which may be employed as compositions in combination with a suitable oil for the purpose of reducing friction are halogenated or chlorinated compounds of benzene, naphthalene, diphenyl, substituted benzene, substituted naphthalene and substituted diphenyl. Specific examples of theabove enumerated compounds are 'mono-chlor-benzene, di-chlor-benzene, notably the ortho compound, chlor-naphthalenes, chlor-diphenyls, as well as chlorinated homologs ofthe above, such as toluene, alpha methyl naphthalene and phenyl toluene.

In addition to the above enumerated class of compounds, halogenated oxygen bearing carbon ring compounds, such as compounds of the class 5 including halogenated oxygen bearing compounds of substituted benzene, substituted naphthalene and substituted diphenyl, may be employed. As specific examples of this last named group of oxygen containing compounds, the fol- 10 lowing will be found to produce satisfactory results, viz., as examples of chlorinated oxygen containing substituted benzene compounds, chlorinated phenols, cresols, diphenyl ether, methyl salicylate; as examples of halogenated l5 substituted diphenyl, chlorinated para-phenyl phenol and chlorinated dixenyl ether; and as an example of chlorinated substituted naphthalenes, chlorinated naphthols.

In addition to the above enumerated com- 20 pounds, halogenated aromatic ethers, phenols, acids and esters, and aldehydes, have been found to produce desirable results.

The above enumerated halogenated oxygenbearing compounds hydrolyze somewhat more 25 readily than the corresponding hydro carbon compounds and accordingly the selection and use of such oxygen-containing compounds must be with greater care on account of the possibility of their eilfecting corrosion at least to a minor 30 degree. It will be observed that all of the above enumerated halogenated oxygen-bearing carbon ring compounds consist entirely of carbon hydrogen, oxygen and halogen. 1

It will also be noted that all of the above enu- 35 merated examples of halogenated carbon ring compounds are of the aryl type, i. e., compounds containing benzenoid ring structures and are also of the type in which the halogen is directlyattached to an atom which is a part of such ring 4 structure.

The amount of halogenated compound added to the oil base may vary somewhat according to the particular compound added as well as the 4 particular usage in view, and may range up to, for instance, about 20%. Mixture-occurs readily and at ordinary temperatures. The optimum amount of halogenated compound added will depend upon the halogen con- 50 tent of the compound, its physical character, especially its effect on the. viscosity of the oil to which it is added, and also upon the particular characteristics of the use for which the composi-- tion is intended. when the lubricant is combined 55 he gasoline for internal combustion engines, the lubricating composition will preferably contain from 2 to 10 per cent. of halogenated compounds.

As previously indicated, the lubricant having combined therewith compositions such as have been above enumerated may be mixed with ordissolved in any suitable type of fuel for internal combustion engines so that after vaporization from a relatively heavier hydrocarbon lubricant 60 ing a liquid hydrocarbon fuel having dissolved in the previously indicated mamier should be added to the usually lighter hydrocarbon engine fuel in quantities varying from .05 per cent to 1.50 per cent by volume. The amount of lubricant added to the fuel for optimum results will be found to be in the vicinity of .30 per cent,.i. e., .15 per cent to .60 per cent. It will be noted that the actual percentage of halogenated compounds of the previously enumerated classes, which will ,be present in the fuel mixture, will be considerably less than the percentages just'given due to the fact that the lubricating composition added to the fuel itself contains only a minor proportion of these compounds, as previously explained.

Fuel compositions of the character described are capable of providing superior valve lubrication and exhibit marked penetration while at the same time the advantage of low volatile oil body is had. A further particular advantage lies in the tendency of such a compounded fuel to keep down carbon formation and to soften and loosen any carbon which may form. The cold test, of the lubricating composition added to the fuel is very low, thus rendering the same particularly useful in engines in cold weather or in aviation. Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the composition herein disclosed, provided the ingredients stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated ingredients be employed.

* I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. The method of forming a liquid motor fuel which comprises adding thereto a small quantity of a lubricating composition containing high boiling hydrocarbons in amounts greater than anynormally present in the fuel, said lubricating composition likewise containing an effective amount less than 20% of a halogenated carbon ring compound of the type in which substantially all of the halogen present is attached to the ring structure.

2. An internal combustion engine fuel compristherein a small quantity of a lubricating composition consisting principally of high boiling hydrocarbons so that the content in the fuel of such constituents is increased, said lubricating composition likewise containing an effective amount less than 20% ofv a halogenated carbon ring compound of the type in which substantially all of the halogen present is attached to the ring structure.

3. An internal combustion engine fuel comprising'a liquid motor fuel of the type boiling within the gasoline range and a composition dissolved therein which consists principally of a. suitable relatively heavier hydrocarbon lubricating oil, and an effectiveamount less than 20% prising a hydrocarbon fuel and a composition dissolved therein which consists principally of a suitable hydrocarbon lubricating oil, and an effective amount less than 20% based on said 111- bricating oil, of a halogenated, oxygen-bearing carbon ring compound consisting entirely of carbon, hydrogen oxygen and halogen and being of "the 'type in which substantially all of the halogen is attached to the ring structure.

5. An internal combustion engine fuel comprising a liquid motor fuel of the type boiling within the gasoline range and a composition dissolved therein which consists vprincipally of a suitable. relatively heavier hydrocarbon lubri cating oil, and from about 2% to based on said lubricating oil of a halogenated carbon ring compound of the type in which substantially all of the: halogen is attached to the ring'structure.

6. An internal combustion engine fuel comprising a liquid motor fuel of the type boiling within the gasoline range and from about 0.05% to 1.5% by volume of a composition dissolved therein which consists principally of a suitable relatively heavier hydrocarbon lubricating oil, and an efi'ective amount less than 20% based on said lubricating oil of a stable,non-corrosive halogenated carbon ring compound of the type. in which substantially all of the halogen is attached to the ring structure.

'7. Aninternal combustion engine fuel comprising a liquid-motor fuel of the type boiling within the gasoline range and from about 0.15%

to 0.60% by volume of a composition dissolved therein which consists principally of a suitable relatively heavier hydrocarbon lubricating oil, and an efiective amount from about 2% to about 10% based on said lubricating oil of a chlorinated carbon ring compound of the type in which substantially all of the chlorine is attached to the ring structure.

8. An internal combustion engine fuel comprising a liquid motor fuel of the type boiling 'Mthln the gasoline range and a composition dissolved therein which consists principally of a suitable relatively heavier hydrocarbon lubricating oil, and an effective amount less than 20% based on said lubricating oil of a halogenated carbon ring compound of the class consisting of halogenated homologs of aromatic hydrocarbons of the type represented by benzene, naphthalene and diphenyl, which compounds are of the type in which substantially all of the halogen is attached to the ring structure.

. 9. An internal combustion engine fuel comprising a liquid motor fuel of the type boiling within the gasoline range and a composition dis= solved therein which consists principally of a suitable relatively heavier hydrocarbon lubricating oil, and an effective amount less than 20% based on said lubricating oil of a halogenated carbonring compound of the class consisting of halogen and oxygen-bearing derivatives of arcmatic compounds of the type represented by benzene, naphthalene and diphenyl and consisting entirely of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and halogen with substantially all of the halogen attached to the ring structure.

10. An internal combustion engine fuel comprising a. 'liquid motor fuel and a composition dissolved therein which consists principally of a suitable hydrocarbon lubricating oil, andan effective amount less than 20% of halogenated difective amount less than 20% of o-dichlorbenphenyl ether.

zene, 12. An internal combustion engine fuel in ac- 11. An internal combustion engine fuel comcordance with claim 2, in which the halogenated prising a liquid motor fuel and a composition carbon ring compound is chlorinated dixenyl 5 dissolved therein which consists principally of a ether.

suitable hydrocarbon lubricating oil, and an ef- CARL F. PRUTTON. 

